Build Timeline

Step 2: Maintenance and Cleaning

The particular Sprinter van we purchased was from a Laundry system distribution company. They made sure the van would run while on the job, but that was about the extent. So, the first job for us was to fix up anything under the hood that wasn't in great condition (couldn't have our whole house breaking down in the middle of nowhere). Next, we had to clear out all the wood shelving the laundry company was originally using and salvage any of the materials that were usable. The next step took a few days: deep-cleaning. If we were gonna be living in a metal box we had to make sure it didn't smell and that there was as little grime as possible to start with. Shouts out to Goo-Gone for really being the VIP on this one. In one of our photos to the left you might notice a yellow construction hat on the dash. We were going for a stealth camper look for our build, meaning we didn't want anyone to know we were living in it. This was mainly for both safety and legal purposes, since not every state (or even city) has the same regulations for vehicle inhabitance.

Step 4: Flooring

Now it was time for the floors. Luckily, our van had the factory wood floors still in the vehicle upon purchase, so we were able to use these as templates for cutting two layers of 0.25" baltic birch and an insulating layer of MLV (mass-loaded vinyl). Marine adhesive was used to then glue the initial layer of wood directly onto the metal floor. We used this same adhesive in between each layer of wood and MLV. MLV's main purpose is for noise insulation, but also acts as a decent thermal insulator. This is really important since the floors of vehicles tend to get cold from being so close to the ground. Unfortunately, our floors were still cold most of the time. The only great solution for this is to install radiant heating. These systems can be very pricey and tricky to install, so it just wasn't a reasonable alternative for our first-time-van-by-broke-students-in-a-pandemic build. After the birch and MLV were in place, we then carefully and painfully glued the vinyl flooring on top of it. Heavy duty staples also helped here. Once this was settled we "drew" out our layout with painter's tape then drilled two through-holes into the floor for both the diesel heater lines and the grey water dump outlet.

Step 6: Wiring, Foundation, & Ceiling

The next step is a bulky one. We spent a lot of time here because the walls of the Mercedes Sprinter are not 90º. Instead they are curved and taper towards the ceiling. If you've ever watched a van life YouTuber, one of the things you'll learn about is the cardboard technique. Basically, this method is just using pieces of cardboard and a pen to get the shape of whatever surface you're trying to match. You can use these templates to then cut out wooden panels and in theory it should fit near perfect. But that's almost never the case... although it does get you in the ballpark! Before any or this, we first planned out where we would need outlets and wires throughout the van. Next, we installed a swivel seat for the passenger and screwed in some furring strips to the side walls so that we could freely mount anything without drilling into the van's sheet metal. It was here, that we then used the cardboard method to make partitions for our future bed, the partition between the garage space and the kitchen, a shelf above the driver/passenger seats, and the ceiling itself. For the ceiling, we decided to use LED strips for lightning and drew them lengthwise along the van to create a longer sense of space. This is also why we chose to keep the interior bright, especially because there are no side windows in this van.

Step 8: Kitchen Space (Version 1)

As I talk about this next part of the process, keep in mind that we did not do this correctly. I've added "Version 1" to the title because later down the road we entirely redo this section of our home. The biggest thing I wish I had known at the time is that when you're constructing shelves or surfaces like this in a curved, un-level area, you have to build the frame outside of the van. That way everything can be 90º and thus your cabinet doors will function properly. For this kitchen build we were rushed for time and ended up skipping this step completely. It costed us in the end because none of the cabinet doors were square, they couldn't open without scrapping something, and space behind the cabinets were not utilized effectively at all. I would also not recommend the stick-on backsplash we used here as it started peeling off the walls due to moisture not long after application. I will admit it all looks nice in photos, but functionality is more important in any case.

Step 10: Kitchen Space (Version 2)

After a month or two of living in the van with cabinets that did not work properly, we decided to redo the whole thing. This time, we built a frame with 1" x 2" pine outside of the van so the corners could be 90º. We also decided to shrink the counter-space and add a small closet next to some updated shelving. We built a couple drawers as well. One of which had a secondary pull-out mechanism to extend the counter a little. The cabinet faces were hand-routed and stained (although our stain choice turned out to be more orange than we hoped). All the cabinets were equipped with magnetic locks as to not open while driving. Even the cabinets without handles were mounted with magnets to offer easy access under the sink, in case of leaks or maintenance, and to allow reach of the grey-water dump switch. This is also when we decided to build a magnetic, hinged air filtration system in front of our fan since at the time wildfires were rampant across the west coast.